NEWS

Annual Holiday Toy Drive Opens Today

Toy Industry Foundation to Collect Toys from Oct. 15 through Dec. 31

October 15, 2013 | The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) is soliciting toy and game donations for its annual Holiday Toy Drive, which opened today (October 15th) and will run through December 31st. Playthings collected during this time will help bring the magic of play to children in need during the upcoming holiday season.

Companies may support the Holiday Toy Drive in three ways:

TODAY Show Holiday Toy Drive
Each year, TIF partners with NBC’s TODAY Show to share stories of the toy industry’s generosity with viewers across the nation. Companies that donate toys to this program will be listed on the TODAY Show website. If a minimum of $150,000 in toys is collected, TIF staff will appear on-air to speak about the ways in which toy companies are making a difference in the lives of children in need.

Play Comforts
In partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Military Services, TIF will host two upcoming toy giveaways, for which companies are encouraged to donate product.

On November 8th, TIF will hold an event for the military families of Travis Air Force Base, located near Fairfield, CA. TIF and BGCA will also hand-deliver toys to Fisher House, which supports wounded warriors and their families. This event will benefit more than 1,500 children; toys for infants and toddlers are especially needed.

On December 2nd, TIF staff will travel to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base just south of Goldsboro, North Carolina to host a toy giveaway as part of the base’s holiday tree lighting ceremony. Toys for all ages are needed.

General Donation to the Toy Bank NetworkThe Toy Bank works with more than 1,000 children’s charities across the globe. Toys donated to The Toy Bank’s network of charities will be matched with the appropriate recipients. TIF offers free pickup for these contributions.

“Donations of games, plush, books, DVDs and more will help bring smiles and much-needed holiday cheer to kids who are sick, underprivileged, adjusting to the challenges of military life, rebuilding after natural disasters, or otherwise in need,” said TIF Coordinator Melissa Sorvillo. “We are counting on toy companies to help TIF collect hundreds of thousands of toys during this holiday drive so that we can reach children all across the country!”

While the Toy Drive will remain open through December 31st, TIF encourages companies to submit donation forms early to ensure the toys make it into children’s hands in time for the holidays.